HomePod Should Launch 'Soon' as Inventec Begins Shipments to Apple

[Baymowe335]

Right, you make my point for me or rephrase them,

1. Apple makes some products better than others, but it's history with speakers is limited. And there already exist lots of fantastic small wireless speakers.

2. Too expensive IS relative, but in this case relative IS: compared to it's competitors in the general smart speaker market.

3. Headphones are not a voice controlled speaker. Headphones are a personal, portable product intended to stay with one person wherever they go. The HomePod is neither. As I said before, HomePod is great IF you live in a one room studio apt. If you live in a 9 room house, then you need 3-4 or so HomePods -- $1200! The average consumer is not going to spend that much on smart speakers.

Apple dominates markets. Its limited experience in watches didn't stop them from becoming the world's best selling watch.

It's not exactly a match to its competitors because it is such a superior speaker, so there is a reason for the increased price.

I don't think many people want a smart speaker in every room. I have my cell phone if I need a voice assistant on the go. In the room it's in, I want good sound. People spend most of their time in the Kitchen/living area.

The headphones comment was to generalize peoples' spending on high ticket items when they see value. You people are WAY too caught up on price. People will spend money on tech. Wait until you see Apple's Q1 2018 numbers on 2/1.

 

[Hustler1337]

Because people are acting like the junk smartspeakers of the world are going to destroy the market for Apple because of a 2 month delay. Someone in this thread said, "too late." It's not too late:

1) Because it's Apple and Apple is usually not first...they weren't even the first smartphone.
2) Because HomePod is a different product than anything from Amazon or Google

It's just annoying people declare it dead or too late before being released. The Echo in general is very poorly built.

I agree about it not being about who's first, but there's truth about Apple being late in the game in the smart speaker market. Amazon and Google have flooded the market with their speakers and have already captured much of the market. It's not a device that people are likely to upgrade a lot once they've got one.

Apple's primary chance of getting those customers to switch to the HomePod is by touting its best feature - hardware - specifically, audio quality. Even then, there's competition from the Google Home Max, albeit for slightly more money and you can even hook up your cheap Amazon Echo Dot to a decent existing sound system via the 3.5mm jack if you really needed.

Software side, the HomePod is poor. The primary advantage I can see on that side is user privacy. Other than that, Siri is near trash against Alexa and Google Assistant. Also if you want to take advantage of that audio quality, the HomePod only supports Apple Music as far as we know for streaming music.

Truth is, customers who want a voice assistant in each room will want something cheap, and the Echo Dot or Home Mini does the job. You won't be interested in spending $349 on a smart speaker.

 

[posguy99]

In all seriousness, does anyone actually think the Echo or Google Home are amazing products and APPLE has no chance of disrupting this market?

The Echo Dot is literally a piece of trash. Have you seen it in person?

Yes, I've sen it, I own two, plus an Echo. How is it "a piece of trash"? Works amazingly, lets me talk to the air and control lights, set timers, do internet searches, etc. The Echo does all that and I listen to music too.

The HomePod will be hamstrung by Siri, which is incredibly poor compared to Amazon Alexa, and by the fact that the only integration it has is Apple Music, while the Echo supports Amazon Music, Spotify, and Pandora.

 

[GizmoDVD]

Just a hard pass for me. My $150 Alexa Show does so much more (and with a screen). I just don't see what Apple is thinking with this for $350.

If it was also an AppleTV and Wireless Router...sure. But at its current state its just a simple Alexa.

 

[OllyW]

Don't know, it seems that apple is stating that you can only stream Apple Music. I could be wrong about that though.

Apple Music is the only one that is fully integrated with Siri control. I don't even think iTunes support is built in though of course it and other music services should be able to stream to the HomePod using AirPlay.

 

[neutralguy]

Go back to my post and let me know where I said it was stellar audio gear. What I said was it was affordable to place around the house for adequate audio AND whole-home voice control. I also said there are lot of great sounding wireless small speaker systems. HomePod isn't new to the concept. So the problem I see with HomePod is that only the most ardent Apple fanboys with AppleMusic subs are going to find it useful. It doesn't work for people that want an Apple Siri speaker network because it's too expensive for that purpose (and big too) & audiophiles are not going to be attracted to it.

So please tell me what market it's going to disrupt and why?

Although I don't think HomePod will attract serious audio listener, it will be a competition to Sonos and Bose.
I have been contemplating to buy Sonos, but the price point is still high for me. I don't think it's worth that much. I do have home theater setup with floor standing speaker. For me the only disadvantage of small speakers that at high volume , they distort a lot and sound harsh. I would rather have Echo dot connected to my receiver and let it play songs on my big speakers which would sound Fuller and richer.

 

[Mascots]

Apple Music is the only one that is fully integrated with Siri control. I don't even think iTunes support is built in though of course it and other music services should be able to stream to the HomePod using AirPlay.

This makes me question, were there ever any tentative plans to support AirPlay 2 on the Mac or is that a pipe dream for now? I'd figure it hard to ignore the Mac/iTunes entirely, but could see them holding off expansion until WWDC this year or even next since it's been pushed back so far thus.

 

[neutralguy]

Apple's HomePod isn't about Siri, but rather the future of home audio

"HomePod isn't a "smart mic" seeking to force Siri into more places to intercept users' attention. Despite cloying narratives of how Amazon is dominating the "smart speaker" market it created out of necessity after Fire Phone imploded in a cloud of smoke, Apple has always had a commanding lead in the number of people using its Siri voice assistant worldwide.

There are a few million Alexa speakers (mostly all in the U.S.) but a billion devices that run Siri—and they're not confined to a room but rather in everyone's pockets and on millions of wrists (in addition to CarPlay vehicles, Apple TV and on Macs) all ready for immediate use.

For Apple, Siri is a convenience feature, not an attempt to break into a market it's been walled out of. Siri is already everywhere. Apple isn't trying to force people to use it, and it's not blocking Amazon or Google (or Microsoft) from putting their own smart voice-enabled services on the iOS App Store.

The narrative that Apple is woefully behind Alexa or Assistant has things backward. Apple doesn't make any money off people using Siri. If voice services were a truly compelling feature in smartphone purchases, people would have bought Fire Phone and Pixel. That did not happen. Describing Apple as "behind in voice services" is a distraction away from the much larger failure of everyone else's voice service to establish a valuable smartphone platform."

You should forward this to Dolby.

 

[Baymowe335]

I agree about it not being about who's first, but there's truth about Apple being late in the game in the smart speaker market. Amazon and Google have flooded the market with their speakers and have already captured much of the market. It's not a device that people are likely to upgrade a lot once they've got one.

Apple's primary chance of getting those customers to switch to the HomePod is by touting its best feature - hardware - specifically, audio quality. Even then, there's competition from the Google Home Max, albeit for slightly more money and you can even hook up your cheap Amazon Echo Dot to a decent existing sound system via the 3.5mm jack if you really needed.

Software side, the HomePod is poor. The primary advantage I can see on that side is user privacy. Other than that, Siri is near trash against Alexa and Google Assistant. Also if you want to take advantage of that audio quality, the HomePod only supports Apple Music as far as we know for streaming music.

Truth is, customers who want a voice assistant in each room will want something cheap, and the Echo Dot or Home Mini does the job. You won't be interested in spending $349 on a smart speaker.

Hard to call the HomePod poor on the software side when it hasn't been tested. I like how people say Siri is so bad compared to Alexa and Google Assistant, but provide no examples. Siri literally gets every question I ask of her correct, so where does she struggle so much on a task that is meaningful? How do you know there won't be significant upgrades for Siri when HomePod is released?

Show some data if you're going to speculate customer intent or how many people DON'T have a smart speaker today that will be addressable when Apple starts shipping.

 

[npmacuser5]

Music for me like video entertainment. I like variety. Netflix, Stars, Amazon, HBO, Physical media, OTA, currently, and change the combination often. Same with music, enjoy having a good selection of music services, paid and free. The best devices for my needs currently, Amazon partnered up with Sonos. Not all about the devices, or company, really about the music options available on the device. Apple has a great echo system, if it meets ones needs the HomePod for you. I will skip it for now and if they offer the music services I want, now they just may get my attention.

 

[TheShadowKnows!]

It's never too late, as Apple often say "it's not about being first"

Ohhhh, Ohhhh.
I was just reading this thread, and looking for the first hint of:

"Apple is never first, but always best".​

Dude, you won the price.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

It's not exactly a match to its competitors because it is such a superior speaker, so there is a reason for the increased price.

I don't think many people want a smart speaker in every room. I have my cell phone if I need a voice assistant on the go. In the room it's in, I want good sound. People spend most of their time in the Kitchen/living area.

The headphones comment was to generalize peoples' spending on high ticket items when they see value. You people are WAY too caught up on price. People will spend money on tech. Wait until you see Apple's Q1 2018 numbers on 2/1.

Yeah, tell that to Sony. The Betamax's picture was superior to VHSs. But VHS was less expensive and it's tapes were longer. It is about what the consumer needs.

Also

1. You don't think people want a smart speaker in every room yet the Dot for two years going is the big holiday gift (Dot's are the crappiest sounding speaker maybe ever, but it works great with Alexa).

2. Beats are not about value, they are about fashion. Audiophiles do not buy beats. Kids and fashionistas buy beats.

3. Yes, I'm caught up on price because I work damn hard for my money. If I were a trust funder with unlimited easy funds, yes, I'd buy a dozen HomePods for me and a dozen for each of my friends. Most people don't have a lot of money to spend on freaking speakers. They have mortgages, monthly bills and 401Ks, 529s to fund.

The HomePod won't be a bust, but it will be slow until Apple can compliment it with less expensive models. It's not going to be the Echo killer.

 

[kyleh22]

I want so bad to want one of these....unfortunately I just can't get myself to want one.

I recently bought an echo dot just to toy around with. It's shocking how well it understands me from well across the room. I'm not kidding when I say it hears me better than my wife does. Amazon seems to be well ahead of Apple at voice recognition in my experience. As good as it is at understanding me, I just don't find myself using it very much.

Even if the Siri Speaker is as accurate and intelligent as Amazon's echo (which I doubt it will be using Siri on my phone as reference), I just don't feel like I want another smart speaker.

 

[Alan Wynn]

1 million units shipped initially not large? I consider it large. The fact it does not saturate the known demand and supply chain aside, one million of anything is officially large.

How many units did Apple sell in its first 5 years in business? How many iPhones in the first year? Perspective.

Apple sold 3.7 million iPhones in 2007 and many more than that in the first full year. Amazon is reported to have sold about 25 million Alexa units over the holiday sales period. Many were the cheaper Dot and were sold to existing Alexa owners, but that is where the market is.

 

[deanthedev]

Hard to call the HomePod poor on the software side when it hasn't been tested. I like how people say Siri is so bad compared to Alexa and Google Assistant, but provide no examples. Siri literally gets every question I ask of her correct, so where does she struggle so much on a task that is meaningful? How do you know there won't be significant upgrades for Siri when HomePod is released?

Show some data if you're going to speculate customer intent or how many people DON'T have a smart speaker today that will be addressable when Apple starts shipping.

I’d say Google Assistant is better than Siri, but it’s not nearly as far apart as people make it appear (Google is fantastic, Siri is useless).

 

[bluespark]

In all seriousness, does anyone actually think the Echo or Google Home are amazing products and APPLE has no chance of disrupting this market?

The Echo Dot is literally a piece of trash. Have you seen it in person?

I couldn't disagree more. The Echo Dot is not really for playing music, but it (and Google Home Mini) are great for those who want home control and spoken access to basic information in every room of their home. My Echo Dots are among my favorite tech devices, simply because they work well and are where I want them to be.

 

[deanthedev]

I don’t know why people think Apple is late to the game. I only know 3 people with an Echo device. Amazon and Google might have sold millions of them, but that’s still only a tiny fraction of the entire market.

The HomePod isn’t even directly comparable to an Echo. It’s more like a Sonos or Bose with Siri tacked on.

The other thing people miss with the Echo Dot or Google Home Mini is they’re super cheap. People can buy them to try out because there’s little risk. I know a ton of people who bought a Chromecast because they were dirt cheap, but most don’t use them anymore. I even bought one to fool around with, now it’s in my junk drawer. Sales does not equal usage.

 

[EdT]

I think Apple really missed the boat here. Amazon and Google really grew their ecosystems this Christmas. Not just their own speakers but intergration in other devices.

It’s the integration that I think Apple missed the boat with. TV’s, satellite services, security devices all are boasting compatibility with Alexa or Google home. Apple actually bought a company who was headed in that direction (the original Siri), made it exclusive to Apple, and prevented any 3rd party devices or software from using it. So those companies went with Google and Amazon.

 

[Dave245]

Ohhhh, Ohhhh.
I was just reading this thread, and looking for the first hint of:

"Apple is never first, but always best".​

Dude, you won the price.

Thank you very much it’s always nice to win

On a more serious note it is true! They are rarely first to do anything but they do often come along and make the best, examples include:

iPhone
iPad
Apple Watch
AirPods

 

[legacyb4]

Fingers crossed Sonos keeps to their word and releases Airplay 2 for the Play 1/3/5 series; hoping that with AP2, the Homepod can replace my kitchen/dining room Play 1 with bigger and better sound and the Play 1 can be moved to other parts of the house and still be able to stream music remotely!

 

[Baymowe335]

I’d say Google Assistant is better than Siri, but it’s not nearly as far apart as people make it appear (Google is fantastic, Siri is useless).

I just asked Siri 10 questions and she got them all. I know there are things she struggles with, but I can't really find a meaningful example unless I'm purposely trying to confuse her with a question like, "Why do you think people say Apple can't innovate?"

 

[deanthedev]

I couldn't disagree more. The Echo Dot is not really for playing music, but it (and Google Home Mini) are great for those who want home control and spoken access to basic information in every room of their home. My Echo Dots are among my favorite tech devices, simply because they work well and are where I want them to be.

I use my Apple Watch to control my home devices with Siri. No need to have multiple Dots in every single room as my Watch is always on me.

 

[Baymowe335]

Yeah, tell that to Sony. The Betamax's picture was superior to VHSs. But VHS was less expensive and it's tapes were longer. It is about what the consumer needs.

Also

1. You don't think people want a smart speaker in every room yet the Dot for two years going is the big holiday gift (Dot's are the crappiest sounding speaker maybe ever, but it works great with Alexa).

2. Beats are not about value, they are about fashion. Audiophiles do not buy beats. Kids and fashionistas buy beats.

3. Yes, I'm caught up on price because I work damn hard for my money. If I were a trust funder with unlimited easy funds, yes, I'd buy a dozen HomePods for me and a dozen for each of my friends. Most people don't have a lot of money to spend on freaking speakers. They have mortgages, monthly bills and 401Ks, 529s to fund.

The HomePod won't be a bust, but it will be slow until Apple can compliment it with less expensive models. It's not going to be the Echo killer.

Yes, its tapes were longer. I'm hoping you're picking up on my subtle hints because it's really irritating.

Since you're just speculating, I think people literally bought Dots as a cheap $29 gift and people don't use them.

LOL...you think people actually fund their 401k? This is what they do INSTEAD of funding their 401k. Buy expensive tech and new cars they can't afford. Ever notice how much people love a new car? They get rid of PERFECTLY running cars just to get a new car.

I think Apple's price point is perfect for this speaker. Y'all will see.
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I couldn't disagree more. The Echo Dot is not really for playing music, but it (and Google Home Mini) are great for those who want home control and spoken access to basic information in every room of their home. My Echo Dots are among my favorite tech devices, simply because they work well and are where I want them to be.

So you agree the HomePod is an entirely different product.

 

[democracyrules]

HomePod supplier Inventec has begun shipping the smart speaker to Apple, with an initial shipment "of about 1 million units," according to industry sources speaking with the Taipei Times. Apple is said to have sent out a shipment notice to companies in the HomePod supply chain in early January, and now that the first supplier has answered the notice one source stated that HomePod should be launching "soon."

As the first batch of HomePods makes its way to Apple, a release date for the delayed smart speaker has yet to be confirmed by the company, although it did state HomePod will debut in "early 2018." Traditionally, Apple's definition of "early" is January through April.

Inventec's revenue from the HomePod is expected to be "limited" this quarter due to the low quantity initial shipment. This falls in line with Inventec's own statement from last August, when it warned that supplies for HomePod might be limited at launch, similar to most Apple product launches. Following the launch, HomePod shipments for all of 2018 are expected to grow to between 10 million and 12 million units.
Industry sources said that Inventec and second HomePod supplier Foxconn will fulfill an even half of these orders. Furthermore, the HomePod's delay was said to be caused by "fine-tuning of software and hardware integration."

When it does launch, HomePod will be Apple's first entry into the smart speaker market, currently dominated by Amazon Echo and Google Home. During its unveiling of the product, Apple said that HomePod is more music-focused than its rivals with high-quality sound and microphone technology, spatial awareness, touch controls, and more, all powered by an A8 chip.

Article Link: HomePod Should Launch 'Soon' as Inventec Begins Shipments to Apple

HomePod will be the best smart speaker ever made in the history. It will be the most secured smart speaker as the other Apple devices due to their proprietary system development which is reducing hacking risks. Apple devices are always the most secured devices in any markets the devices are in. Security conscious customers will pick Apple regardless of the pricing.

 

[bluespark]

I use my Apple Watch to control my home devices with Siri. No need to have multiple Dots in every single room as my Watch is always on me.

That's fine, but that doesn't negate the Dot's ability to do the same thing (without raising your wrist). And for families where not everyone wears an Apple Watch, the Dot probably is a better option.
[doublepost=1516206991][/doublepost]

HomePod will be the best smart speaker ever made in the history. It will be the most secured smart speaker as the other Apple devices due to their proprietary system development which is reducing hacking risks. Apple devices are always the most secured devices in any markets the devices are in. Security conscious customers will pick Apple regardless of the pricing.

I have twenty-two Echo Dots in my home. I'd go broke if I wanted to replace them with HomePods.